Thankful!

Really and truly, it isn't the forecast today that has given me an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness.  Okay, maybe it helped.  Growing up in Colorado, and playing through blizzards, followed by 5 years in Kansas (aka Tornado Alley), NEVER have I been so frightened by storms and even just SNOW as I am living here in Nashville.  The storms are bad y'all (haha - that's me talking like a true southerner!) And if only flurries are in the forecast, the city SHUTS DOWN.  I'm pretty sure we had at least 3 snow days this winter... and no actual snow!
Well today, we had plenty of warning... tornadoes headed our way.  In fact the torcon for Nashville was a 9!  That means, there was a 90% chance of a tornado touchdown within our city.  AND WHERE IS MY BASEMENT?!?!?  Oh, that's right, I DON'T HAVE ONE!!!
I have more weather related stories in the last 3 years here in Nashville than I have over the course of my entire life.  It includes floods (yep, wiped out a nice big chunk of our neighborhood), snow (making us park and hike our way home), and LOTS of severe weather leaving Marlin and I with chattering teeth in our master closet.

But tonight, it is all passed and I sit contently in my living room.  I am SO super thankful.  I have found a family here in Nashville.  Because, my friend Stephanie has a basement, and in days like today, she is like, the most popular girl in town.  Not only that, but she is the kind of person who is so laid back, I didn't think twice about inviting my whole family (minus Eric of course - but he was safe in his rock-solid restaurant which also has a basement) over to kick it in her basement.  My other friends felt the same way, and even when hail was belting her house, and we saw a clear tornado touchdown within miles via radar, our kids played happily, and us parents observed, and drank wine.  My nerves were cool.  I would NOT be cool at home alone in the master closet (my poor neighbor was so nervous, she actually left her house and crawled in a cement colvert outside her house!).  When all was said and done, we went upstairs and dined on a casual fare.  It was a pizza party to Macie.  Oh a whim.  How lucky are we?  Well, we are incredibly blessed with awesome friends who are our family here in Nashville.

And my mom.  I received texts every 10 minutes, clearly worried... giving me updates on the tornados. Love that my mom was sitting in Colorado, letting me know what was going on around my house.  She is a wonderful mom - and I am so thankful for how much she cares!